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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — of the year
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — to get on
  14. stand — to bear
  15. season — in sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com